Monthly Archives: January 2012

Did Brian Cashman make a wise decision when he sent 22-year old offensive wunderkind Jesus Montero to Seattle in exchange for 23-year old phenom Michael Pineda? As much as it pains me to answer that question with a cliché, in this case, it applies:...

Yes, the additions of Michael Pineda and Hiroki Kuroda do wonders for the rotation, not only improving it at the front, but providing depth, such that a reasonable amount of wear and tear should not force Freddy Garcia to take the mound in Game 2 of the ALDS. The bullpen should remain among the best in the league, especially if Joba Chamberlain returns to something approaching full strength by midseason. The signing of Pedro Feliciano and the low-risk invitation handed to Hideki Okajima give the Yankees LOOGY alternatives to the controlled madness of Boone Logan.

However, the loss of Jesus Montero also means the Yankees are once again posting a lineup that has no players younger than 28, and no regulars in the pre-arbitration phase of their career. The inevitably declining range of the Yankee infield could be a rude awakening for Kuroda, whose career groundball rate is substantially higher than any other Yankee starter. More importantly, discouraging three-year offensive trends for Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and Mark Teixeira suggest that all may have entered the decline phase of their careers, even though the organization is still on the hook for a combined $296.5 Million.…

With Jesus Montero off to the Pacific Northwest, the Yankees have a hole at designated hitter. It’s been popular lately to say that the Yankees should go with a “rotating DH” – using the spot to frequently rest Yankee hitters, primarily Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter. This is a very bad idea.

The Yankees drastically improved their rotation over the weekend. The acquisition of Michael Pineda was obviously one focused on the long term; he isn’t a free agent until 2017. Ignoring everyone else for a second, and assuming improvement and development from the third member of...